malereader x hells paradise

Chapter 23: Shadows of Reunion

The island is calm, eerily so. With Ran defeated, it feels as if a heavy weight has lifted, but there's no time to dwell on that. I can sense the undercurrent of energy that hums through Shinsenkyo, like a sleeping beast stirring, waiting for something. The Tao, our tenuous ally and ever-present danger, feels different now, more alive, as if it's watching us. Ran’s last words hang heavy in my mind.

Our group limps toward a grove, seeking shelter from the fight. Yuzuriha collapses against a rock, her chest heaving, a tired but triumphant smirk on her face. Sagiri and Nurugai settle beside her, each of them lost in their thoughts as they try to catch their breath.

I scan the area, my senses on high alert. “We can’t let our guard down yet,” I say. “This place… it feels like it’s reacting to what happened with Ran.”

Sagiri nods, the weariness in her eyes unable to hide the sharp focus still burning there. “The Tao is more volatile now, as if his defeat has sent ripples through the entire island.”

Nurugai, clutching a bruise on her side, glances around. “Do you think the other Tensen will feel it? Or… something else?”

It’s a good question, and one I don’t have an answer to. Shinsenkyo is unpredictable, its dangers endless. I look at my hands, still feeling the faint, residual pulse of Tao, as if it’s trying to pull me deeper into its mysteries.

Yuzuriha chuckles softly, drawing our attention. “Whatever comes next, we just kicked one of the strongest Lord Tensen off his pedestal. That has to count for something, right?”

Her laughter fades as the reality of our situation settles in. We’re still deep in enemy territory, with enemies that only grow stronger the further we press on. This victory is just one step in a much larger journey.

A rustling nearby catches my attention, and I hold up a hand, silencing the group. We all freeze, weapons ready, instincts sharp.

A figure emerges from the shadows, stepping carefully over fallen branches and leaves. His hair is disheveled, his face haggard but alert. It takes a moment for recognition to settle in.

It’s Aza Chobe.

He’s alone, which is unusual. The last we saw him, he was with his brother, Toma. There’s something unsettling about his expression—like he’s seen things that have scarred him in ways even this island hasn’t managed yet.

“Chobe,” I say, lowering my weapon but not relaxing entirely. “What happened?”

He looks at me, his gaze sharp and guarded. “Ran into… complications.” His voice is strained, his usual bravado muted. “Lost Toma in the chaos of this damned island.”

Sagiri steps forward, her tone cautious. “What do you mean? Is he…?”

Chobe shakes his head. “Alive, as far as I know. But the island separated us. Last I saw, he was fighting off one of those plant-beast things. I couldn’t reach him.”

His frustration is palpable, a raw wound beneath the surface. For all his harshness, he cares deeply for his brother. The thought of Toma being lost or hurt must be tearing him apart.

I nod, understanding his unspoken request. “We’ll help you find him,” I say. It’s dangerous, but abandoning someone—especially someone as resilient as Toma—doesn’t sit right with me.

Chobe’s gaze softens slightly, though he doesn’t say anything. For him, gratitude is an emotion left unspoken.

Nurugai, ever pragmatic, looks at me with a raised brow. “We’re really taking on more problems when we’re barely holding on ourselves?”

“It’s the right thing to do,” I reply, my tone firm.

Yuzuriha stretches, groaning. “Great. Just when I thought we’d get a breather.” She shoots me a teasing grin. “I’ll follow you, even if it means dragging my poor, battered body around this cursed place.”

The decision made, we begin moving deeper into the jungle. Every step feels like a risk, every shadow a potential threat. Yet there’s a sense of unity among us now, a purpose that carries us forward even as exhaustion gnaws at us.

We walk in tense silence, listening to the whispers of the trees, the distant calls of creatures I’d rather not encounter. The Tao around us ebbs and flows like a tide, sometimes surging with intensity, sometimes barely noticeable.

Hours pass, or maybe just minutes—time is a slippery concept on this island. Just as we’re starting to lose hope, we hear it: the clash of metal against something hard, the unmistakable sound of a fight.

We break into a run, caution abandoned as we follow the sounds. The forest opens up into a small clearing, and there, in the center, stands Toma, bruised but unyielding, his blade glinting in the filtered light as he fends off a monstrous creature. It’s like nothing I’ve seen before—a twisted amalgamation of plants and stone, its eyes glowing with a sickly green light.

“Toma!” Chobe’s shout is both a battle cry and a declaration. He charges forward, joining his brother without a second thought.

The rest of us follow suit, rushing into the fray. The creature turns, its gaze locking onto us, and I feel a pulse of Tao radiate from it, dark and malevolent. It moves with unnatural speed, striking out with thorn-covered limbs, each blow carrying enough force to shatter bone.

Sagiri ducks under a sweeping branch, her sword flashing as she slices through one of its limbs. Yuzuriha moves like a shadow, her daggers finding weak spots between the creature’s thick bark-like armor. Nurugai delivers a powerful blow to its side, the impact causing the creature to stagger.

Chobe and Toma fight side by side, their movements synchronized as they cut into the creature, relentless and unyielding. There’s something almost poetic about their bond, the way they complement each other’s strengths and cover each other’s weaknesses.

I focus on the creature’s core, sensing a dense concentration of Tao there. If I can disrupt it, maybe we can bring this thing down for good. Dodging a swing from one of its limbs, I gather my energy, channeling the Tao I’ve learned to control, if only barely, and strike.

My blade pierces the creature’s core, and for a moment, everything goes still. Then, with a shuddering groan, the creature crumbles, its body disintegrating into dust and leaves, carried away by a sudden gust of wind.

The battle is over.

We stand in silence, catching our breath, each of us nursing our injuries. Chobe and Toma exchange a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Whatever had separated them, whatever they’d been through, it’s clear that they’re stronger for it.

“Thanks,” Toma mutters, looking at us with a shy but genuine gratitude.

Chobe smirks, nudging him. “Don’t get all soft now.”

I can’t help but smile at their banter, a rare moment of levity in the midst of all this chaos. For a brief moment, it feels like we’re just people, not fighters on a deadly mission, not survivors on a cursed island.

But that moment doesn’t last. I feel a shift in the air, a disturbance in the Tao that sends a chill down my spine.

Sagiri stiffens beside me. “Did you feel that?”

I nod, my senses on high alert. It’s faint, but unmistakable—a new presence, something powerful and dangerous.

Yuzuriha’s gaze narrows, her usual carefree demeanor slipping. “Looks like we’re not alone after all.”

The island is alive with energy, thrumming with anticipation. I don’t know what’s coming, but I can feel it closing in, an invisible threat lurking just beyond our sight.

We may have found Toma, but this island has no intention of letting us leave unscathed.